Temaruru is a site in the eastern highlands where Powertronics
of Harare has installed a stand alone community wind power station. There
are four machines. Each has 3.6m diameter and nominal 1kW power rating.

The site at Temararuru is a showpiece for African Windpower.
Sited prominently on the road from Nyanga, it catches the eye, as well
as the wind.

In an area far from the grid, this is a massive increase in available
electric power for people and small businesses.

Power is stored at 48 volts DC in a 400 amphour battery, at the power
centre, and converted to 220 volt AC using Powervision 3kW sine wave inverters.
Powervision is a joint venture of Powertronics and Innovision (of Denmark)

Future developments will include installation of solar modules to supplement
the wind turbines, and maintain the supply in calm weather. A battery charging
facility will be offered at the power centre, along with low energy lights,
solar modules and other electrical supplies.

Powertronics, the parent company is a power electronics manufacturing
company in Harare. African Windpower is starting operations in an adjacent
unit.

I want to introduce you to some of the guys there.

In the above picture,
Oloff Smyth
(right) is the managing director of Powertronics who has pushed the windpower
process forward against the odds for the last few years.
Duncan 'Dragon' (on
the left) is a "Groovy Engineer", on contract with powertronics/powervision.
Forbes Marufu (in the middle of the small pic) is an independent electrician
who slings the overhead wires.

Finally here are a few of the guys who do the hands-on work, in the
back of the Powertronics factory. Here they are posing with the new 4kW
alternator. On the left is Rogers the fibreglass specialist, on the right
is Thinkmore who does all the windings. Who was that guy in the middle
again...?